Horific Accident at the Olympic

[0roo0roo]

It's not that complicated. I figures a higher retaining wall would have kept the luger inside the track and guess what. They installed a higher wall since the accident.

whats more amazing is how some people thought that sh*t sliding down a track was something so complicated and unpredictable that no one could possibly be qualified to think anything about it.

 

[frostedflakes]

I've read a lot of this thread, and seen the video, but I have a question. Was that aired live or was there a tape delay and somehow the video leaked?

As to the comments, yes it is a dangerous sport but that is (was) an obvious deathtrap. I cannot fathom the ignorance that went into that section, leaving exposed beams that close to the track. Forget getting thrown completely out, even if you ended up too high it would take a limb off.

How is Canada about handling international lawsuits? (I still hear the ringing of the beam.)

Many lugers and other people have commented that in the decades they've been involved with the sport, they have *never* seen someone thrown over a wall like that. Wipeouts are common, but as I mentioned earlier, it sounds like being catapulted from the track like that is almost unheard of. So no, I don't see how it was an obvious death trap. This was an unfortunate, freak accident.

 

[0roo0roo]

Many lugers and other people have commented that in the decades they've been involved with the sport, they have *never* seen someone thrown over a wall like that. Wipeouts are common, but as I mentioned earlier, it sounds like being catapulted from the track like that is almost unheard of. So no, I don't see how it was an obvious death trap. This was an unfortunate, freak accident.

in light of how they already stated that it was the most difficult and fastest track ever.
it is not a freak accident. if this were some bog standard ordinary track you might have a point. but it clearly wasn't.

"The Vancouver track was tested in advance of the Games. The results were alarming and should have set off not merely concerns about the speed, but how it could affect the competition.

Speeds of up to 95 MPH. A 12% increase in what was planned and expected. Well beyond the current endurance level of these athletes. Well beyond what left the designer's table."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ed-berliner/death-at-the-vancouver-ol_b_461300.html#postComment

 

[ProgressiveAthe]

I read that apparently Bobsledding and the skeletop have a maximum speed limit of 130 km/h that a athelete is allowed to be able to go on a track, and that luge has no speed limit and so they tend to go much faster.

 

[JJChicken]

Men's lugers will now start from where the Women's start, which will cause a drop of 10km/h.

Clearly it was not the Georgian's fault that he died...

 

[silverpig]

I think the IOC documents everything including those runs, so i doubt it was live.

AFAIK it was live... luge training runs were being televised and a few people I know were posting about it just seconds after it happened.

 

[silverpig]

in light of how they already stated that it was the most difficult and fastest track ever.
it is not a freak accident. if this were some bog standard ordinary track you might have a point. but it clearly wasn't.

"The Vancouver track was tested in advance of the Games. The results were alarming and should have set off not merely concerns about the speed, but how it could affect the competition.

Speeds of up to 95 MPH. A 12% increase in what was planned and expected. Well beyond the current endurance level of these athletes. Well beyond what left the designer's table."http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ed-berliner/death-at-the-vancouver-ol_b_461300.html#postComment

The team who designed the track designed 6 others. The track passed all engineering, IOC, and luge federation tests and inspections. The speed record set was about 3-4% faster than the previous record. Over 3000 runs have been completed on this track already. The track has a crash rate of about 3%, which is right in line with other tracks when they were new.

This was a freak accident.

 

[spidey07]

The team who designed the track designed 6 others. The track passed all engineering, IOC, and luge federation tests and inspections. The speed record set was about 3-4% faster than the previous record. Over 3000 runs have been completed on this track already. The track has a crash rate of about 3%, which is right in line with other tracks when they were new.

This was a freak accident.

I'd still contend that it was a freak combination of factors. He was totally out of control going up that high. Was it his skill, his sled or the design? Never know, but it was enough to catapult him out like that.

 

[mugs]

It's not that complicated. I figures a higher retaining wall would have kept the luger inside the track and guess what. They installed a higher wall since the accident.

It's funny that everyone criticizes the TSA and Homeland Security for always defending against the previous attack, but the same thing is happening here and everyone seems to be in favor of it. The Olympic officials have pretty much said they're doing unnecessary stuff to give people more peace of mind. If they thought higher walls were necessary to make the course safe they would have installed higher walls along the whole course, or at least at the exit of each turn.

 

[0roo0roo]

The team who designed the track designed 6 others. The track passed all engineering, IOC, and luge federation tests and inspections. The speed record set was about 3-4% faster than the previous record. Over 3000 runs have been completed on this track already. The track has a crash rate of about 3%, which is right in line with other tracks when they were new.

This was a freak accident.

they designed 6 others, but this was the fastest aka it was not standard.
ioc standards are bullsh*t. by their standards china was good enough for the olympics after all. and frankly pointing to regulations/standards as something holy is seriously misguided, engineering history and disasters are filled with a continuous line of inadequate standards that only get tightened after some sh*t happens. until then its always within regs even if its stupid.

 

[F1N3ST]

This is very sad indeed.

RIP.

 

[Number1]

It's funny that everyone criticizes the TSA and Homeland Security for always defending against the previous attack, but the same thing is happening here and everyone seems to be in favor of it. The Olympic officials have pretty much said they're doing unnecessary stuff to give people more peace of mind. If they thought higher walls were necessary to make the course safe they would have installed higher walls along the whole course, or at least at the exit of each turn.

The walls are not high enough in the other turns?

Do you know something we don't?

 

[silverpig]

they designed 6 others, but this was the fastest aka it was not standard.
ioc standards are bullsh*t. by their standards china was good enough for the olympics after all. and frankly pointing to regulations/standards as something holy is seriously misguided, engineering history and disasters are filled with a continuous line of inadequate standards that only get tightened after some sh*t happens. until then its always within regs even if its stupid.

Hmmm, build it to the specs that the P.Engs have laid out, or make the walls higher cause 0roo0roo on some internet forum says he thinks they should be higher...

 

[JJChicken]

Hmmm, build it to the specs that the P.Engs have laid out, or make the walls higher cause 0roo0roo on some internet forum says he thinks they should be higher...

Or increase the wall after the death, change the ice profile to reduce risk of sliding off the track, making the men start from the women's line (5 or 6mph/hr decrease), blame the dead rider less than 10 hours after his death...oh WAIT..I CAN HAZ CHEESEBURGER!??

 

[Sea Moose]

I know there is a pussification trend in the world.


But


Extreme sport = extreme risk.


Edit: I hope i dont come off as insensitive, i mean rip dude. But the guy was doing a hardcore risky sport. He knew the risk.

 

[Bulk Beef]

I know there is a pussification trend in the world.


But


Extreme sport = extreme risk.


Edit: I hope i dont come off as insensitive, i mean rip dude. But the guy was doing a hardcore risky sport. He knew the risk.

Have you ever participated in a high speed track sport?

 

[al981]

Hmmm, build it to the specs that the P.Engs have laid out, or make the walls higher cause 0roo0roo on some internet forum says he thinks they should be higher...

looks like 0r000 still nerdraging about the olympics in china being a success. lulz.

 

[Sea Moose]

Have you ever participated in a high speed track sport?

have you?

 

[JJChicken]

I know there is a pussification trend in the world.


But


Extreme sport = extreme risk.


Edit: I hope i dont come off as insensitive, i mean rip dude. But the guy was doing a hardcore risky sport. He knew the risk.

So make one small mistake and die. Gotcha.

 

[Sea Moose]

So make one small mistake and die. Gotcha.

Bungy jumping = yes
parachuting = yes
motorsports = potentially yes


like i said, extreme sports = extreme risk.


Peter Brock made one mistake and he was the best of the best

 

[JJChicken]

Bungy jumping = yes
parachuting = yes
motorsports = potentially yes


like i said, extreme sports = extreme risk.


Peter Brock made one mistake and he was the best of the best

Still disagree with you..but damn I remember when Peter Brock died

 

[Bulk Beef]

have you?

Sure have.

The track is supposed to be a semi-controlled environment, and while risk can never be eliminated, it can absolutely be mitigated. Exposed steel pylons lining the outside of a corner exit do not mitigate risk.

Luge isn't really supposed to be a death sport, and while the luger on Friday may have come off his sled due to his own error, coming off his sled isn't what killed him. Hitting that pylon at 90mph is.

Your flip assertion that "he knew the risk" rings hollow, since there hasn't been a death in luge since the 70's.

 

[Cuda1447]

Sure have.

The track is supposed to be a semi-controlled environment, and while risk can never be eliminated, it can absolutely be mitigated. Exposed steel pylons lining the outside of a corner exit do not mitigate risk.

Luge isn't really supposed to be a death sport, and while the luger on Friday may have come off his sled due to his own error, coming off his sled isn't what killed him. Hitting that pylon at 90mph is.

Your flip assertion that "he knew the risk" rings hollow, since there hasn't been a death in luge since the 70's.

Come on man. We know luge isn't supposed to be a death sport. But neither is baseball and people have died with balls to the side of the hide. Neitehr is NASCAR, but ask Earnhardt. Neither is MMA, but certainly people have died in that. List can go on and on.


From what I heard, first death in 44 years. Over 8000 runs on that track without any fatalities. First time many of these people have EVER seen someone thrown OFF the track. All of these factors indicate freak accident. I bet they could have left that track exactly the same and we would never see anyone else catapulted off the track like that again.

 

[Bulk Beef]

Come on man. We know luge isn't supposed to be a death sport. But neither is baseball and people have died with balls to the side of the hide. Neitehr is NASCAR, but ask Earnhardt. Neither is MMA, but certainly people have died in that. List can go on and on.

Since you apparently missed this:

while risk can never be eliminated, it can absolutely be mitigated. Exposed steel pylons lining the outside of a corner exit do not mitigate risk.

What are you arguing? That safety measures shouldn't be taken?

 

[waggy]

Come on man. We know luge isn't supposed to be a death sport. But neither is baseball and people have died with balls to the side of the hide. Neitehr is NASCAR, but ask Earnhardt. Neither is MMA, but certainly people have died in that. List can go on and on.


From what I heard, first death in 44 years. Over 8000 runs on that track without any fatalities. First time many of these people have EVER seen someone thrown OFF the track. All of these factors indicate freak accident. I bet they could have left that track exactly the same and we would never see anyone else catapulted off the track like that again.

yes. In high risk sports accidents happen. BUT everything you mentioned does everything it can to reduce risk. Having steel pillers right after a sharp turn where people have accidents is NOT a smart move. It is a design flaw that needs to be fixed.